Exploration and mining in the Omineca and Northeast regions, British Columbia

C. Paul Jago1, a

1 Regional Geologist, British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, Suite 350, 1011 Fourth Avenue, Prince George, BC, V2L 3H9 a corresponding author: [email protected]

Recommended citation: Jago, C.P., 2015. Exploration and mining in the Omineca and Northeast regions, British Columbia. In: Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey, Information Circular 2015-2, pp. 1-27.

1. Introduction 46% of mineral production in 2014. The low-ash, low-sulphur The Omineca Region is prospective for metals including bituminous coal in the region is internationally recognized for niobium, rare-earth elements (REE), molybdenum, nickel, producing high-quality coke, a key ingredient in steel making. copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold, whereas coal is of primary In concert with international oversupply and price decreases, focus in the Northeast Region (Fig. 1). coal production and exploration decreased in 2014. Total The main deposit types explored for in the Omineca region exploration expenditure was $50 million (Fig. 3), mainly from (Figs. 1, 2) were epithermal gold-silver (Nechako Plateau), mine evaluation-stage and advanced-stage projects, a 39% porphyry copper-gold (Nechako Plateau, Quesnel Trough and drop from 2013 (Fig. 4). Drilling (25,500 m) decreased 53% Toodoggone area) and stratiform zinc-lead-silver (Kechika from 2013 levels (Fig. 5). In 2014, Trough). Total exploration expenditure in 2014 is estimated at • the second component of the Mines Act Permit $42 million (Fig. 3), mainly from mine evaluation-stage and Amendment was granted for the Roman Mountain advanced-stage projects, about 59% less than in 2013 (Fig. 4). expansion, fully permitting the combined Trend- At 42,000 m, drilling was 48% less than in 2013 (Fig. 5). In Roman operation (Anglo American plc) 2014, • the fi nal two permit requirements for the Quintette • ramp-up activities continued at the Mt. Milligan mine (Babcock) mine (Teck Coal Limited) were granted, (Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.) fully permitting the proposed mine • a fi nal feasibility study was released for Blackwater • the decline at Murray River (HD Mining International (New Gold Inc.), and pre-feasibility study completed for Ltd.) was driven beyond 740 m, proceeding toward the Aley (Taseko Mines Limited) length for collecting a bulk sample • an Environmental Assessment Certifi cate application • feasibility-level exploration work began at Sukunka was submitted for Blackwater, and Project Descriptions (Glencore) (initiating the environmental assessment process) were • drilling programs were undertaken at EB and Hermann submitted for Kemess Underground (AuRico Gold (Walter Energy, Inc.), Roman Mountain, Roman Inc.) and Aley Northwest, and Waterfall (Anglo American plc), • updated resource estimates were provided for Capoose Sukunka (Glencore), and Dunlevy (Jameson Resources (New Gold Inc.), 3Ts (Independence Gold Corp.), Aley, Limited) and Blackwater • trenching and bulk sampling continued at Wapiti East • drilling programs were undertaken for porphyry copper- (Fertoz International Inc.) and a small mine application gold at Kemess East (AuRico Gold Inc.), Col-Later was submitted. (Pacifi c Empire Minerals Corp.), Blackwater South and Ridley Terminals Inc., the main port servicing the Peace Key (New Gold Inc.); low-sulfi dation epithermal or vein River Coalfi eld, continued its Capacity Realization Project, gold-silver at Fawn and Van Tine (New Gold Inc.), 3Ts which aims to double the annual terminal capacity to 24 Mt. (Independence Gold Corp.) and Green Gold (0902744 However, by mid-year the project was curtailed pending B.C. Ltd.); SEDEX zinc-lead-silver at Akie (Canada recovery of the coal market. As of September 30, outlay for the Zinc Metals Corp.), and Cirque (Teck Resources project was $15.1 million. Limited); and high-purity limestone at Giscome (Graymont Western Canada Inc.). 2. Geological overview About 18% of the province’s coal production comes from The Omineca-Northeast region is underlain by: cratonic the Peace River Coalfi eld in the Northeast Region (Figs. 1, basement rocks of ancestral North America (Laurentia); 6). Metallurgical coal has been British Columbia’s biggest Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary and carbonate mineral export commodity in recent years, representing about successions deposited on the western fl ank of ancestral North

1 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

Fireside Yukon (see Kyba, NWT this volume) BC MacDonald Platform

eastern NAc NAp YT Kechika Trough SM Fort Nelson CA limit

KF of

Cordilleran QN Mt. Alcock Groundhog Yuen North TERRANES (see Kyba, Cirque East Intermontane this volume) Yuen Pie ST Stikine Cirque Fluke UDS QN Quesnel ToodoggoneKemess area CA Akie Pink Elf Mountain East Kemess YT Yukon-Tanana Underground deformation TkF NAb NAc Thor CC Cache Creek Croy-Bloom Aley SM Slide Mountain ST RMT Fort St. Ancestral North America QN Cat John Ogden Mountain CA Cassiar-Cariboo Mountain OGK Dunlevy Peace River Hudson’s Hope NAb Kootenay TkF Takla-Rainbow Dawson Creek North America - NAp platform Manson Creek Chetwynd Kwanika Redton NAc North America - East-Smoke MM Mackenzie Brule craton and cover LEGEND Chuchi Brule x Perry Creek Region boundary Rottacker Sukunka Tumbler Ridge Major fault Col-Later EB Murray River Hermann x Major roads PF Mt. Milligan Quintette (Babcock) McLeod Waterfall x Trend-Roman Quesnel TroughLake Rail Roman NW Huguenot Communities Decar Wapiti River Coalfield Fort St. Bear Mines James QN Lake Wapiti East CC MM Metal Giscome Endako Coal x Vanderhoof Industrial Mineral Fox SM NAp RMT Alberta X placed on care and ST 2 X Fred Prince George maintenance in 2014 Green Capoose Gold PF Proposed mine Van Fawn NAb CA Tine McBride Metal Blackwater Hixon Key Coal 3Ts Industrial mineral Nechako Plateau Valemount Projects N Metal 0 100 200 Coal km

Fig. 1. Mines and selected exploration projects, Omineca and Northeast regions, 2014. Terranes from Nelson et al. (2013). Fault abbreviations: KF = Kechika fault, MM = Manson-McLeod fault system, PF = Pinchi fault, RMT = Rocky Mountain trench, TkF = Takla-Finlay-Ingenika fault system.

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Fig. 2. Generalized stratigraphy, Omineca and Northeast regions. Selected intrusive rocks: a) Endako batholith and Laidman batholith; b) Capoose batholith and Auro pluton (Blackwater pluton); c) Chu pluton; d) Black Lake plutonic suite; e) Spike Peak intrusive suite; f) granodioritic plutons (unnamed suite); g) Hogem plutonic suite (Triassic-Jurassic); h) Hogem plutonic suite (Cretaceous) and Germansen Batholith; i) Ste. Marie plutonic suite; j) Bayonne plutonic suite; k) Wolverine Range plutonic suite; l) Aley carbonatite complex. Mineralization ages at 3Ts are represented by the microdiorite sill (2a) and hydrothermal quartz breccia vein at the margin of the Johnny vein (2b). Unit ages from Stott (1975), Diakow et al. (1993, 1997), Nelson and Bellefontaine (1996), Ferri (1997), MacIntyre (1998), and Schiarizza and MacIntyre (1998). Mineralization ages from Andrew (1988), Pell (1994), McLeish (2013), Logan and Mihalynuk, (2014), New Gold Inc. (2013), David Pawliuk (personal communication, 2014) and Ron Britton (personal communication, 2014). Geologic timescale from International Commission on Stratigraphy (2014). Jago

Slide Mountain and Cache Creek oceanic terranes, which intervene between Quesnellia and Stikinia and formed in the Late Paleozoic to Mesozoic; post-accretionary rocks; and younger cover rocks (Figs. 1, 2).

2.1. Ancestral North America In the Omineca and Northeast regions, Laurentian basement is unconformably overlain by Neoproterozic to Early Paleozoic continental, shelf, and deep-water marine siliciclastic and carbonate successions that were deposited on the western margin of ancestral North America during protracted rifting and breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia (Fig. 2, see Nelson et al, 2013 for review). Local units of the Windermere Supergroup Fig. 3. Annual exploration spending estimates in millions of dollars (Neoproterozoic) include predominantly siliciclastic rocks for the Omineca and Northeast regions from 2010 to 2014. A total of and their metamorphic equivalents (Misinchinka and Ingenika $92 million for the combined regions in 2014 was down 50% from groups; Ferri et al., 1994). The Gog Group (Lower Cambrian) 2013. unconformably overlies the Windermere Supergroup and consists mainly of sandstone, granulestone, and conglomerate. In the Northern Rocky Mountains, Early to Middle Paleozoic sedimentation is represented by units containing mainly carbonate rocks, such as the Kechika Group (Cambrian), and the Road River Group (Middle Devonian).

2.2. Cassiar, Kootenay, and Slide Mountain terranes In Devonian to Mississippian time, subduction of oceanic crust eastward beneath ancestral North America led to back-arc extension and opening of the Slide Mountain ocean. Subsidence from attenuation of the continental margin generated the Cassiar-Cariboo and Kootenay pericratonic terranes (Nelson et al., 2013). The Cassiar-Cariboo terrane is underlain by the same Neoproterozoic to Cambrian successions as ancestral Fig. 4. Exploration expenditures in 2014 by exploration stage for the North America. The Kechika Trough (Kootenay terrane) is Omineca and Northeast regions. the southeastern extension of the Selwyn Basin of the Yukon and Northwest Territories, which hosts prolifi c Ordovician to Early Devonian sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) deposits. The trough is in the Northern Rocky Mountain fold and thrust belt, bounded to the west by the Rocky Mountain trench and to the east by the Macdonald Platform (Fig. 1). Siliceous and carbonaceous shale of the Upper Devonian Gunsteel Formation (Earn Group) hosts barite-bearing SEDEX deposits including those at Akie and Cirque. The host shales are preserved in a series of Cretaceous to Early Tertiary northwest-trending thrust sheets and synclinal keels (MacIntyre, 1998). The Aley carbonatite complex (Late Devonian-Early Mississippian) also lies in the fold and thrust belt. It is hosted by Cambrian to Ordovician carbonate and siliciclastic rocks near the transition between shelf deposits of the Macdonald Platform and deep- water deposits of the Kechika Trough (Mäder, 1986; McLeish, Fig. 5. Annual exploration drilling estimates in thousands of metres 2011). for the Omineca and Northeast regions from 2010 to 2014. A total of 67,200 m for the combined regions in 2014 was down 50% from 2013. 2.3. Quesnel terrane Volcanic island-arc rocks that originated outboard of ancestral America; the Quesnel and Stikine island arc terranes, which North America in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (Nelson et formed outboard of ancestral North America starting in the al., 2013; Logan and Mihalynuk, 2014) extend along strike for Late Paleozoic and were accreted in the Middle Jurassic; the 660 km in the Omineca Region. The Quesnel arc developed in

4 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

    

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5 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

two-phases above Late Paleozoic basement rocks (Nelson and composite intrusive complex that extends for 95 km along a Bellefontaine, 1996). The Takla Group (Late Triassic) phase northwest trend at the northern end of the Nechako Plateau. The comprises basal sedimentary rocks that are overlain by mafi c Endako subsuite (Late Jurassic) of the Francois Lake plutonic and intermediate volcanic successions. These rocks are locally suite hosts the Endako low-fl uorine porphyry molybdenum overlain by partially subaerial intermediate volcanic rocks, deposit (Pond, 2013). including the Chuchi Lake and Twin Creek successions (Early Jurassic), which were emplaced on a more mature arc. Coeval 2.5. Cache Creek terrane with the Takla Group, the Hogem Intrusive complex and its The Cache Creek terrane is an oceanic fore-arc assemblage peripheral offshoots hosts porphyry copper-gold ± silver ± that formed outboard of the combined Stikine-Quesnel arc molybdenum deposits such as Kwanika and Mt. Milligan. The terrane and contains exotic fossils of Tethyan (Asian) affi nity Hogem Intrusive suite generally evolved from more alkaline (Schiarizza and MacIntyre, 1998; Nelson et al., 2013). In the compositions in the Early Mesozoic to more subalkaline in the Mt. Sidney Williams area the Cache Creek terrane consists of Cretaceous (Garnett, 1978), with the exception of Early Jurassic the Sitlika assemblage (Permian-Triassic) and the Cache Creek alkaline bodies such as the Duckling Creek syenite complex complex (Late Paleozoic to Early Jurassic). In the Sitlika (Bath et al., 2014; Devine et al., 2014). Regional northwest- assemblage, a lower unit of mafi c and felsic metavolcanic trending strike-slip faults bound the northern Quesnel terrane rocks is overlain to the east by a siliciclastic unit. The Cache on its eastern (Manson-McLeod fault system) and western Creek complex includes an ophiolite sequence of variably (Pinchi fault) margins. serpentinized peridotite (Trembleur ultramafi c unit), which hosts the Decar deposit, and an overlying unit of massive- 2.4. Stikine terrane to-pillowed basalts and mafi c dikes and sills (North Arm The Stikine terrane shares ancestry with the Quesnel terrane succession). The ophiolite sequence is in thrust contact with a (Logan and Mihalynuk, 2014). Both are thought to have been pelagic phyllite-chert unit; a massive limestone unit lies farther part of a larger arc complex lying offshore of ancestral North to the east. In the Ogden Mountain area, nephrite jade lenses America in Late Permian to Triassic time. Accretion of the are in high-pressure, low-temperature metamorphic rocks terranes is thought to have resulted from westward subduction of the Cache Creek complex. Predominantly west-directed of oceanic crust beneath Stikinia and eastward subduction structural imbrication and obduction of oceanic rocks onto beneath Quesnellia (Diakow et al., 1993, Nelson et al., 2013). Stikinia occurred in Early-Middle Jurassic time during terrane The Stikine terrane underlies much of the Skeena region and accretion. The Sitlika rocks are considered to be part of a the westernmost part of the Omineca region, particularly in primitive oceanic arc complex, the Sitlika-Kutcho-Venables the Toodoggone (northwest) and Nechako Plateau (southeast) arc (Logan and Mikalynuk, 2014). areas. In the Toodoggone area, bimodal volcanic and sedimentary 2.6. Post-accretionary rocks (Late Jurassic to Paleogene) rocks of the Asitka Group (Carboniferous-Permian) are In Stikine terrane, non-marine sedimentary rocks of the unconformably overlain by mafi c to intermediate volcanic Sustut Group (Lower to Upper Cretaceous), derived from the rocks of the Takla Group (Late Triassic). Hazelton Group Omineca Belt to the east (Diakow et al., 1993), extend for over subaerial intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks (Toodoggone 100 km along the western margin of the Toodoggone area, Formation; Lower Jurassic) unconformably overlie the Takla overlapping Upper Paleozoic to Lower Jurassic units. Group. Coeval with Hazelton Group, quartz monzonitic to In the Nechako Plateau area, Hazelton Group rocks are locally granodioritic rocks of the Black Lake suite form a 62-km long, overlain by sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Bowser Lake north-northwest trending pluton that locally hosts porphyry Group (Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous), which formed in mineralization. Intrusive rocks follow the margins of an a foreland basin west of the obducted Cache Creek complex elongate structural depression that was fi lled by voluminous (Evenchick et al., 2007). By Late Cretaceous time, regional Hazelton Group ash-fl ow tuffs particularly in the central part of shortening and the development of a continental arc to the west the area (Diakow et al., 1993). A horst-and-graben fault system led to an episode of granodiorite intrusion (Diakow et al., 1997; includes northwest-trending normal faults, northeast-trending Nelson et al, 2013) that included the Capoose Batholith and cross faults, and shallow to moderately tilted monoclinal blocks. Auro Pluton, which are spatially related to the Capoose and Porphyry copper-gold-silver-molybdenum deposits such as Blackwater deposits (Simpson and Rotert, 2014; Christie et Kemess Underground, and epithermal gold-silver deposits of al. 2014). Episodic volcanism continued with eruption of the both low- and high-sulphidation type are known in the area. intermediate Kasalka Group rocks (Late Cretaceous), which The Finlay-Ingenika fault system bounds the Toodoggone area host the Blackwater deposit; and Eocene rocks of the Nechako on the east. Plateau Group, the Ootsa Lake Formation (felsic volcanic) and In the Nechako Plateau area, Hazelton Group island-arc Endako Formation (intermediate volcanic). Eocene volcanism volcanic rocks predominate (Diakow et al., 1997) and are was concurrent with regional extension and horst-and-graben intruded by syn-accretionary monzogranitic rocks of the faulting. North- to northwest-trending faults and northeast cross Endako and Laidman batholiths. The Endako Batholith is a faults are important controls on mineral showings developed

6 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

during Late Cretaceous to Eocene uplift and extension. The Columbia estimated 4900 Mt of potentially mineable resources Nechako uplift, a northeast-trending horst, provides a window in the Peace River Coalfi eld. exposing Hazelton Group rocks beneath Miocene and younger cover. 2.7. Neogene to Quaternary cover rocks In the Quesnel terrane, second-order strike-slip faults, Tertiary fl uvial deposits were deposited in large braided fault splays, and releasing bends resulted in variably tilted and meandering systems (Levson and Giles, 1993) such as structural blocks and triangular-shaped basins fi lled with Upper the north-fl owing ancient Peace River (Turner et al., 2010). Cretaceous to Tertiary sedimentary and minor volcanic rocks Chilcotin Group fl ood basalts (Miocene and younger) outcrop (Nelson and Bellefontaine, 1996). The moderate tilt of the Mt. locally. Quaternary glacial, glaciofl uvial, fl uvial, and colluvial Milligan deposit may be related to motion along a splay of deposits are extensive in the southern part of the Omineca the Manson-McLeod fault zone. The Wolverine metamorphic region, and bedrock is exposed mainly at higher elevations. complex, a core complex related to extensional and strike-slip tectonics, was rapidly exhumed in the Tertiary and comprises 3. Operating mines and quarries amphibolite-grade Neoproterozoic basement rocks (Ferri et al., 3.1. Metal mines 1994). 3.1.1. Endako mine In northeastern British Columbia, the Peace River Coalfi eld The Endako molybdenum mine (Figs. 1, 2; Thompson Creek extends nearly 400 km along the Northern Rocky Mountain Metals Company Inc., operator and 75% owner; Sojitz Moly inner foothills, from the Alberta border to the Pink Mountain Resources, Inc., 25% owner) is one of many porphyry deposits area (Figs. 1, 6). Medium- to low-volatile bituminous coal that extend discontinuously along the length of Stikinia (Logan, seams of economic thickness and continuity are hosted in 2013; Logan and Mihalynuk, 2014). The orebody is hosted Lower Cretaceous sections of the Gething and Gates formations by the Endako quartz monzonite (Fig. 2; Late Jurassic) and (Cunningham and Sprecher, 1992; Gibson, 1992). Coal-bearing consists of subparallel or en-echelon quartz-molybdenite-pyrite cyclothems were deposited in deltaic and lagoonal settings veins, and stockworks (Pond, 2013). Open-pits (Fig. 7) extend along the western edge of the Western Canadian Sedimentary across four structural blocks separated by south southwest- Basin during marine transgressions and regressions (Stott, trending faults that appear to be offset as a series of Tertiary 1984; Grieve, 1995). These rocks were shortened during the listric normal faults (Lowe, 2001). Pond (2013) summarized Laramide Orogeny (Late Cretaceous to Tertiary). Thrusts, the geology of the deposit and provided operational updates. northeast-vergent variably plunging asymmetric folds, box- Although mining of in situ and stockpiled ore continued in folds, and triangle zones formed by back-thrusts generally 2014 (Table 1), the mine was placed on temporary suspension, trend northwest-southeast. Commonly, tight anticlines adjacent effective December 31. to thrust faults are bordered by broad synclines. Coals from both the Gething and Gates formations are relatively low in ash 3.1.2. Mt. Milligan mine and sulphur (Grieve, 1995). In 2012, the Government of British The Mt. Milligan mine (Thompson Creek Metals Company Table 1. Metal mines, Omineca and Northeast regions.

Mine Operator Commodity; Forecast Reserves Resource Near-mine Website deposit type; production (Proven and (Measured exploration MINFILE (estimate based Probable) and on Q1-Q3) Indicated) Endako Thompson molybdenum; 4309 tonnes 65.8 Mt 109.4 Mt N/A http://www. Creek porphyry; (9.5 Mlbs) at 0.052% at 0.051% thompsoncreek Metals 093K 006 molybdenum molybdenum; molybdenum metals.com/s/ Company oxide containing - additional home.asp Inc. (75% 34,382 tonnes to reserves share) (75.8 Mlbs) molybdenum Mt. Thompson copper, gold, silver; 28,395 tonnes 477.5 Mt at 226.2 Mt ground IP http://www. Milligan Creek porphyry; (62.6 Mlbs) 0.199% copper at 0.14% survey (31.2 thompsoncreek Metals 093N 194 copper; 5645 kg and 0.388 g/t copper and line-km) metals.com/s/ Company (181,500 oz) gold; containing 0.204 g/t home.asp Inc. gold 951,637 tonnes gold - (2098 Mlbs) additional to copper and reserves 185,066 kg (5.95 Moz) gold

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Commissioned in October 2013, the mine saw its fi rst full- year of operations in 2014. Ramp-up activities, including mechanical and electrical maintenance, and adjustments to mining and milling continued throughout 2014. Commercial production, defi ned as mill operation at 60% throughput capacity for 30 days, was reached in mid-February. Milling operations are expected to be consistently near 80% of design capacity by the end of 2014. Nine shipments of approximately 10,000 dry tonnes of copper and gold concentrate were made by October. About 328 people worked at the mine in 2014. Near mine exploration in 2014 consisted of a ground IP geophysical survey northeast of the mine on a claims block underlain by volcanic rocks and limestone of the Takla Group, and biotite schist and paragneiss of the Wolverine metamorphic complex.

Fig. 7. Mining in the southeast corner of the Endako pit, Endako 3.2. Coal mines mine. The year began with three open-pit coal mines operating in the Northeast Region (Fig. 6): the Trend mine of Peace River Inc.) is a near-surface, alkalic copper-gold porphyry deposit Coal Inc., wholly owned by Anglo American plc; and the Perry in central Quesnellia (Figs. 1, 2; Logan, 2013; Logan and Creek (Wolverine) and Brule mines of Western Coal Corp., Mihalynuk, 2014). It is hosted by mafi c-intermediate volcanic wholly owned by Walter Energy, Inc. The Trend and Perry rocks of the Witch Lake succession (Takla Group) and by Early Creek mines produce mainly hard coking coal (HCC), whereas Jurassic monzonite stocks (Fig. 2). Copper-gold mineralization the Brule mine produces only pulverized coal injection (PCI) occurs as sulphide disseminations, fracture fi lls, and lesser coal, a high-rank thermal coal used to sustain blast furnace veinlets in the monzonitic stocks, their brecciated margins, and temperatures in steelmaking. In mid-April, Walter Energy hornfelsed and altered volcanic country rocks. announced that coal mining in the region would be suspended The deposit is a moderately dipping, tabular, ca. 2.5 x 1.5 km due to low prices. Mining at Perry Creek was suspended body that extends to a depth of 400 m (Mills et al., 2009). A immediately, but operations continued at Brule until mid-late core zone of magnetite-rich potassic alteration and copper-gold June. In September, Anglo-PRC announced that it would be mineralization (MBX sub-zone; Fig. 8) transitions peripherally suspending operations at the combined Trend-Roman mine by to gold-only mineralization and carbonate-rich phyllic to the end of 2014. intermediate argillic alteration (66 sub-zone) suggestive of an alkalic lithocap (Holliday and Cooke, 2007). An oxidized 3.2.1. Trend zone with weak supergene enrichment contains native copper At the Trend mine (Table 2) HCC of medium-volatile extends to depths of 70 m along faults. bituminous rank is being mined from seams in the Gates Formation along the steeply dipping northeast limb of the Waterfall anticline. The Roman Mountain expansion lies 1.5 km to the southwest, in the Murray syncline. Coal seams, have been followed over a 3 km strike length; the cumulative thickness of Gates Formation seams is about 18 m. Seams in the Gething Formation have a cumulative thickness of 7.5 m and can be blended with Gates Formation coals. Metallurgical coal production for the fi rst three quarters was 1.30 Mt, down slightly (2%) from 2013. At the end of March, the second component of the Mines Act Permit Amendment was granted for access and start of mining on Roman Mountain, making the combined Trend-Roman operation (Fig. 1) fully permitted. The remaining effl uent permit has also been received. Construction projects continuing into 2014 included ditching for runoff management, two sedimentation ponds, and a selenium treatment test plant that was commissioned in the fi rst half of the year. A causeway was Fig. 8. Blast-hole drilling for Phase 2 mining in the MBX pit, Mt. constructed to provide better access to Roman Mountain (Fig. Milligan mine. 9). The expansion will comprise 5 km of linear open-cuts in

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Table 2. Coal mines, Omineca and Northeast regions.

Mine Operator - mine Commodity; Forecast Reserves Resource (Measured Near-mine Website status deposit type; production (Proven and Indicated) exploration MINFILE (estimate and based on Probable) Q1 to Q3) Trend Anglo American plc metallurgical 1.71 Mt 10.0 Mt 27.7 Mt mineable N/A http://www. (Peace River Coal coal; saleable in situ (exclusive of angloamerican. Inc.) Placed on care 093I 030 (excluding reserves, excluding com/ and maintenance, Roman Roman Mountain) Dec. 2014 Mountain) Perry Walter Energy, metallurgical 564,000 t 9.4 Mt N/A (28.0 Mt in situ, N/A http:// Creek Inc. (Western coal; saleable; March 31, 2010) walterenergy. Coal Corp.) 093P 025 Proven com/ Placed on care and maintenance, Apr. 2014 Brule Walter Energy, metallurgical 1.02 Mt 17.5 Mt N/A (28.0 Mt in situ, N/A http:// Inc. (Western coal; saleable; December 31, 2011) walterenergy. Coal Corp.). 093P 007 Proven com/ Placed on care and maintenance, June 2014

Fig. 9. Looking southeast down the completed open-cuts Trend Mine. The causeway was constructed to access Roman Mountain (Trend-Roman mine).

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three phases to capture the Middle Gates coal seams on Roman produces PCI coal from three, 3.0-4.6 m thick seams in the Mountain, and satellite pits for the Upper Gething coal seams lower part of the Gething Formation. The mine forms part of (Peace River Coal Inc., 2007). Once in operation, the mine will the Brazion Group of properties that includes the Willow Creek require 450 full-time employees. The combined Trend-Roman mine. Production of about 2.2 Mt of run-of-mine coal was operation will extend the life of the existing Trend mine by targeted for the year, but the mine was placed on idle status at 16 years. The decision to suspend mining affected 360 mine the end of June and 280 employees were laid off. Hauling of employees and about 30 contractors. stockpiled coal for processing and rail load-out at the Willow Creek mine continued for the remainder of the year. 3.2.2. Perry Creek mine (Wolverine) At Walter Energy’s Perry Creek mine (Wolverine Project; 3.3. Industrial mineral mines and quarries Fig. 1, Table 2) medium-volatile bituminous HCC is being 3.3.1. Nephrite jade mined from seams in the Gates Formation. In mid-April the Nephrite and soapstone are metamorphic rocks derived from company announced it would immediately idle production, an ultramafi c protolith that has undergone dynamothermal but continue operating the wash plant to process coal already metamorphism and metasomatism near a subduction zone. The in inventory. A care and maintenance crew is to remain on Ogden Mountain property is underlain by metamorphosed, site once coal processing is complete. Layoffs affected 415 thrust-faulted, and well-foliated ultramafi c rocks, including employees. serpentinite melange, of the Cache Creek complex. These rocks are locally intercalated with massive white calc-silicate 3.2.3. Brule mine rock (Simandl et al., 2000). Near the calc-silicate rocks, the Walter Energy’s Brule mine (Figs. 1, 10; Table 2) mine ultramafi c rocks appear to grade from serpentinite to nephrite

Fig. 10. Walter Energy, Inc. geologist looking southeast over the South Brule Pit, Brule mine.

10 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

to soapstone (talc schist). The nephrite forms lenses that pinch extraction level. Construction is expected to take fi ve years, and swell along the regional fabric. employing up to 400 people for the fi rst four years. Green Mountain Gemstones Inc. continued work at the Ogden Mountain property (Fig. 1, Table 3), including placer 4.1.2. Blackwater trenching for alluvial jade boulders and excavation of in situ The Blackwater deposit (Figs. 1, 2; Table 4; New Gold Inc.) jade. is interpreted as an intermediate sulphidation epithermal gold- silver system hosted by Kasalka Group rocks (Late Cretaceous; 3.3.2. Dimension stone Christie et al., 2014). The volcanic section includes andesite Near Valemount (Fig. 1), construction and building stone fl ows, lapilli tuffs, and volcanic breccias, fl ow-banded and projects continued in 2014 with limestone quarrying at the tuffaceous rhyodacites, heterolithic breccia containing altered Yellowjacket project and continued stockpiling of talus- fragments of other units, and silicifi ed hydrothermal breccias. derived quartzite slabs at Hunterstone Quarries. Alteration and mineralization defi ne a 1300 x 950 m west- trending, shallowly north-plunging deposit. A fragmental zone 4. Mine development and proposed mines with average vertical extent of 350 m tapers down to 600 m 4.1. Metal projects in a low-grade core. It contains pervasive muscovite-illite ± 4.1.1. Kemess Underground (KUG) silica, smectite, biotite, and chlorite alteration accompanied The Kemess Underground deposit (Figs. 1, 2; Table 4; by disseminated and replacement pyrite-sphalerite-marcasite- AuRico Gold Inc.) is centered on the Kemess North pluton, pyrrhotite ± chalcopyrite, galena, and arsenopyrite. Native gold a quartz monzodiorite of the Black Lake intrusive suite that and electrum as micron-scale grains (ranging from about 30 follows a south-dipping thrust fault. The fault separates Takla μm up to 200 μm) are spatially associated with sulphide and Group basaltic-andesites from a barren wedge of Toodoggone silicifi cation. Local Mn-rich spessartine garnet, an important Formation (Hazelton Group) dacitic lapilli tuffs to the north, indicator mineral, occurs with pyrrhotite-bearing potassic and cuts off the pluton and mineralization at depth. An 80 m alteration in the western part of the deposit. Steep, north- thick oxidized sulphate leach zone of clay-rich hematite-stained plunging higher-grade ore shoots are thought to be related to broken rock overlies the deposit. Subjacent phyllic alteration subvertical fault intersections. Highest grades (up to 47.49 g/t with pyrite-anhydrite/gypsum veining is predominant in the Au over 15 m) are along the margins of silicifi ed breccia bodies. Takla volcanic rocks; at depth, quartz-magnetite ± biotite Illite and rare buddingtonite alteration suggests a late volatile alteration becomes prevalent. Auriferous chalcopyrite-pyrite phase common to shallow hydrothermal systems (Krohn et al, mineralization with trace molybdenite occurs as disseminations, 1993). fracture fi lls and quartz ± magnetite veins in the pluton, and In January 2014, New Gold Inc. released the NI 43-101 less so in hangingwall Takla Group volcanic rocks. technical report. It describes an open-pit mining operation In February, AuRico submitted a Project Description to with 60,000 t/d processing plant and a mine life of 17 years. initiate environmental assessment. An underground block Life-of-mine average annual production would be 12,846 kg cave operation is proposed that would use infrastructure at the (413,000 oz) of gold and 54,182 kg (1.74 Moz) of silver. Total Kemess South mine (now on care and maintenance; Witte et metal production would be 217,724 kg (7.0 Moz) of gold and al., 2013). Annual production would be approximately 3266 kg 920,663 kg (29.6 Moz) of silver. New Gold worked to advance (105,000 oz) of gold and 19,958 tonnes (44 Mlbs) of copper. the project through permitting, which required additional The operation would run for 12 years with mining from a single engineering studies on the transmission line, tailings storage

Table 3. Industrial mineral mines and quarries, Omineca and Northeast regions.

Mine Operator Commodity; Production Reserves Resource Near-mine Website deposit type; (Measured exploration MINFILE and Indicated) Ogden Green nephrite jade; jade; less than 5 tonnes N/A N/A placer http://gmgemstone. Mountain Mountain 093N 156, 165 raw; 8 tonnes trenching ca/ Gemstones high-grade from and in situ Inc. stockpiles mineral exploration

Yellowjacket Private limestone 1000 tonnes N/A N/A N/A individual

Hunterstone Private quartzite slabs 200 tonnes N/A N/A http://www. Quarries individual hunterstonequarries. com/

11 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Exploration and Mining inBritishColumbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry ofEnergy andMines,British Columbia Geological Survey IC2015-2 Table 4. Mine development and proposed mines, Omineca and Northeast regions.

Mine Operator Commodity; Reserves (Proven Resource (Measured and Work program Signifi cant Website deposit type; and Probable) Indicated) results MINFILE Kemess AuRico Gold copper, 100.4 Mt at 0.28% 65.4 Mt at 0.24% copper, Environmental Project http://www. Underground Inc. gold, silver; copper, 0.56 g/t 0.41 g/t gold, 1.8 g/t silver; Assessment, care and Description auricogold.com/ (KUG) porphyry; gold, 2.0 g/t silver; containing 157,191 tonnes maintenance (Kemess to initiate 094E 021 containing 280,842 (346.5 Mlbs) copper, South) Environmental tonnes (619.2 Mlbs) 26,562 kg (854 Koz) gold, Assessment copper, 56,142 kg 118,535 kg (3.8 Moz) silver submitted (1.8 Moz) gold, (excluding reserves) 205,532 kg (6.6 Moz) silver

Blackwater New Gold Inc. gold, silver; 344.4 Mt at 0.74 g/t 396.9 Mt at 0.74 g/t gold, Engineering studies Feasibility http://www.newgold. epithermal gold, 5.5 g/t silver; 5.5 g/t silver; containing for Environmental study released. com/ (intermediate containing 254,115 295,483 kg (9.50 Moz) gold, Assessment Environmental sulfi dation); kg (8.17 Moz) gold, 2181 tonnes (70.13 Moz) Assessment 093F 037 1891 tonnes (60.8 silver (including reserves) application Moz) silver submitted

Aley Taseko Mines niobium; 83.8 Mt at 258.8 Mt at 0.37% Nb2O5; Pre-feasibility study, Achieved +50% http://www. Jago 12 Limited carbonatite- 0.50% Nb2O5; containing 669.4 Mkg* of metallurgical testing, recovery of tasekomines.com/ hosted; containing 292.9 niobium (including reserves) mineralogical, niobium in test home 094B 027 Mkg* of niobium *calculated by author engineering and processing. Pre- *calculated by baseline studies feasibility study author released

Roman Anglo metallurgical 26.6 Mt saleable 4.2 Mt mineable in situ percussion drilling http://www. Mountain American plc coal; (additional to reserves) (7735 m) angloamerican.com/ (Peace River 093I 030 Coal Inc.)

Quintette Teck Coal metallurgical 41.1 Mt clean coal 124 Mt raw coal (excluding detailed engineering, https://www.teck.com/ (Babcock) Limited coal; 093I 011 reserves) 50,000 tonne saleable coal test sample Murray River HD Mining metallurgical 261.6 Mt (proven 314.2 Mt (in Plot-1 area) Decline construction, Decline to 742 m http://www. International coal; mineable) drilling (330 m), in October. hdminingintl.com/ Ltd. 093I 010 engineering and Environmental environmental studies. Assessment application submitted (under review) Exploration and Mining inBritishColumbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry ofEnergy andMines,British Columbia Geological Survey IC2015-2 Table 4. Continued.

Mine Operator Commodity; Reserves (Proven Resource (Measured and Work program Signifi cant Website deposit type; and Probable) Indicated) results MINFILE EB (Mt. Walter Energy, metallurgical 15.6 Mt clean coal N/A core drilling (860 m), http://walterenergy. Spieker) Inc. (Western coal; auger drilling (180 m); com/ Coal Corp.) 093P 015 test pitting

Hermann Walter Energy, metallurgical 9.1 Mt clean coal N/A (30.6 Mt in situ, infi ll core drilling http://walterenergy. Inc. (Western coal; including reserves, March 31, (999 m) com/ Coal Corp.) 093I 031 2010)

Sukunka Glencore. metallurgical N/A 140 Mt in situ drilling (exploration, http://www.glencore. Glencore is coal; geotechnical, hydro- com/ operator with 093P 012 geological), 10 tonne 75% interest. bulk sample, trenching, JX Nippon coal quality testing, Oil & Energy feasibility studies Corporation has 25% interest. Jago 13 Giscome Graymont limestone N/A +100 Mt of limestone infi ll drilling (1854 m), http://www.graymont. Western 093J 041 (>95% calcium carbonate, oriented core drilling, com/ Canada Inc. <5% magnesium carbonate) auger drilling, test in situ - Indicated pitting, Environmental Assessment

Wapiti East Fertoz phosphate; N/A 1.54 Mt at 21.6% P2O5 trenching, bulk sample 1.2 - 2.5 m width http://www.fertoz. International 093I 008 (Inferred) (1250 tonnes of 20 Kt of 13 - 27% P2O5 com/ Inc. permitted) in mineralized zone Jago

facility, and water management. In early October, the fi nal the mine were received in late summer. The mine is to reopen the application for an Environmental Assessment certifi cate was Windy (Big and Little Windy) and Window pits on the northern submitted. The proposed mine would require 1200-1500 jobs side of Mt. Babcock. The historic Quintette mine operated from during construction, and a permanent workforce of over 500 1982-2000 with development in 1998 of the open-cuts on Mt. employees. Babcock producing about 2 Mt/y clean coal. The new operation would start mining on the northeast in the Window Pit area. 4.1.3. Aley The mine is expected to produce an average of 3.5 Mt/y clean The Aley niobium project (Figs. 1, 2; Table 4, Taseko Mines coal over a 12 year mine life. In April, Teck announced that Limited), the second largest in the world, is hosted by the Aley the project was being deferred until market conditions improve, Carbonatite complex (Devonian-Mississippian). The complex and by July the site had transitioned to care and maintenance. is an alkalic-ultramafi c intrusion that is ovoid in plan-view The decision affected 80 employees at the site. (2.8-2.0 km) and consists mainly of dolomite carbonatite (80- 95%), with lesser calcite carbonatite (McLeish, 2011). An upper 4.2.3. Murray River zone extending to about 200 m depth consists of multi-phase The 35 km-long, 160 km2 northwest-trending licensed area carbonatite with dense cumulate bands of magnetite-apatite- for the Murray River project (Fig 1., Table 4) of HD Mining calcite-phlogopite-zircon-columbite ± olivine, baddeleyite International Ltd. (co-owned by Huiyong Holdings (BC) Ltd.

(ZrO2), and pyrite that have been fragmented and disseminated and Canadian Dehua Lvliang Limited) is underlain by Lower within the intrusive. A lower zone of silico-carbonatite contains to Upper Cretaceous successions above the Gates Formation. sodic-amphibole and extends to roughly 300 m depth. Niobium The main geologic structure is modeled as an open asymmetric occurs in the minerals pyrochlore, fersmite and columbite. syncline, with reverse faults bringing coal beds in the middle The latter two are alteration products of primary pyrochlore part of the Gates Formation to shallower depths. The Project and may be related to dolomitization of calcite carbonatite. Description (Rescan Environmental Services Ltd., 2012) Pseudomorphs and relict textures of early carbonatite phases identifi es 5-6 underground workable Gates Formation seams are in the dolomitic phase, and pyrite is more abundant. The about 2 to 5 m thick. fenitized aureole with abundant sodic-amphibole is cut by In 2014, an underground bulk coal sample project continued carbonatite dikes or sills and extends for over 500 m into the (Fig. 11) with driving of a decline starting in January. The host rock beyond the brecciated carbonatite margin. decline is planned to be 1500 m long and extend to a depth of In the fi rst half of 2014, Taseko Mines Limited continued 400 m. Contingent on coal quality results of the bulk sample, metallurgical test work. Engineering and environmental studies the proposed mine would have a production rate of 4.8 Mt/y of also continued, as did upgrading the March 2012 resource saleable coal over a 25 year mine life at an estimated capital estimate. In September, the company released the results of cost of $668 million (ERM Rescan, 2014). Commissioning and a pre-feasibility study and submitted a Project Description fi rst production is anticipated before 2018, subject to permitting to initiate a formal environmental assessment. The company approval. Over 450 direct jobs are anticipated for the three year proposes an open-pit mine with a strip ratio of 0.5:1, and a construction phase and over 640 jobs during operations. The 10,000 t/d processing plant. Average annual production over company plans to use nearly 480 skilled temporary foreign the 24-27 year mine life would be about 9000 tonnes (9 Mkg) workers at the start of operations, but to replace them with niobium in the form of ferroniobium (annual production of about 14,000 tonnes FeNb). The proposed mine would require approximately 700 jobs during construction and 350 direct jobs at full operation. In November, it was announced that the project had been federally approved for a harmonized Environmental Assessment to be conducted by the province.

4.2. Coal projects 4.2.1. Roman Mountain The Roman Mountain expansion project (Fig. 1, Table 4; Peace River Coal Inc.-Anglo American plc) is 1.5 km southwest of the Trend mine. Infi ll drilling in 2014 was designed to better defi ne fold-fault structures.

4.2.2. Quintette (Babcock) After delaying the restart of the Quintette (Babcock) mine (Fig 1. Table 4) in mid-2013, Teck Coal Limited continued detailed engineering work and completed the extraction of a Fig. 11. Workers entering decline portal at the South Decline site, saleable coal test sample. The fi nal two permit requirements for Murray River.

14 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

Canadian workers over ten years. An agreement with Northern estimated at 250 jobs during construction, and 700 employees Lights College has been signed to train Canadian workers. The during operations. The project has been federally approved for company’s Environmental Assessment certifi cate application a harmonized Environmental Assessment to be conducted by was accepted in mid-September, and the project is under review. the province and is in the pre-application stage.

4.2.4. EB (Mt. Spieker) and Hermann 4.3. Industrial mineral projects Walter Energy, Inc continued preparatory work at Wolverine 4.3.1. Giscome Group expansion projects about 10 km west (EB) and southeast The Giscome property of Graymont Western Canada Inc., (Hermann) of the Perry Creek mine (Fig. 1). Both projects are is underlain by basaltic volcanic rocks and fossiliferous certifi ed under the provincial Environmental Assessment. The limestones (Fig. 13) of the Slide Mountain Group. High quality EB project (Fig 1., Table 4) is in a 3.5 x 1.4 km north-northwest limestone grades of about 98% CaCO3 have been historically trending area that captures the Gates Formation coal sequence. described in the area. In 2014, Graymont continued to move Four gently-to-moderately dipping coal seams (12.6 m average the project (Fig. 1; Table 4) through the pre-application stage cumulative thickness) of medium-volatile bituminous rank are of Environmental Assessment. In March, eleven infi ll holes targeted on the northeastern limb of the Spieker syncline. Start- of 300-400 m depth were drilled to better defi ne the available up is anticipated as early as mid-2016. Production of 2 Mt/y is resource. Geotechnical and hydrogeological studies were also expected over a mine life of 8 years. A 14-hole drilling (core completed. The company aims to start construction in mid- and auger) and test-pitting program was completed in 2014. The Hermann property (Fig 1., Table 4) is divided into three 2015 with production in 2016. Mine life is estimated at a prospects (Hermann North, Hermann Syncline, and Hermann minimum 50 years. The mine would create 40-60 jobs during Gething) with the Hermann North prospect having the best surface mining potential (Minnes, 2007). Five main coal seams in the middle part of the Gates Formation of medium volatile bituminous rank have a cumulative thickness of up to 12.5 m. The proposed mine would have production rate of about 1 Mt/y of clean coal with a 10 year mine life. Three open-pits are proposed, covering an area of 3200 x 490 m. A six-hole core drilling program was completed in 2014 in the Hermann North prospect area. The provincial Environmental Assessment certifi cate for the project was extended in 2013 for another 5 years.

4.2.5. Sukunka Glencore’s Sukunka project (Fig. 1, Table 4) lies in a broad asymmetric syncline with beds that generally dip gently to the southwest. Southwest-dipping thrust faults cut across the property. Three coal seams (1.5-4.5 m thick) in the upper Fig. 12. Skeeter seam in the Nose pit area, Sukunka. part of the Gething Formation are on the property, including the mineable Skeeter and Chamberlain. Seams in the lower part of the Gething Formation seams have been described historically (COALFILE 669) and are being targeted. In February, feasibility stage assessment began and exploration continued. Drilling focused on two target areas: the Nose Pit area (Fig. 12, upper Gething seams), and a northwest target area (lower Gething seams). Geochemical and geotechnical drilling to collect environmental and slope stability data was also completed. In August, a bulk coal sample of the upper Gething seams was collected for quality, coking and washing tests. Test trenches were also excavated for geotechnical investigation. The proposed Sukunka mine (Stantec Consulting Ltd., 2013) is a combined surface and underground operation that would initially produce 1.5-2.5 Mt/y of clean coal from surface contour mining. Addition of the underground component would increase production to 6 Mt/y. Mine life is Fig. 13. Coral clast-bearing limestone near the proposed Giscome estimated at 20 years minimum. Workforce requirements are project. Photo by John DeGrace.

15 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

construction and 15-20 full time jobs during operations.

4.3.2. Wapiti East At the Wapiti East project (Fig 1., Table 4) of Fertoz International Inc., pelletal and nodular phosphate-bearing units (Fig. 14) are interbedded with siltstones in folded and thrusted rocks of the Whistler member (Sulphur Mountain Formation, Spray River Group; Butrenchuk, 1996).The main ore mineral is microcrystalline francolite, a carbonate-rich variety of fl uoroapatite. In August, Fertoz began a trenching and bulk phosphate sampling program after being delayed by forest fi res. The raw bulk sample was to be used in trials by certifi ed organic farmers. A resource estimate (inferred) was also released for an at-surface resource averaging 1m wide and 30 m deep over a Fig. 14. Phosphate-rich intraclasts in Wapiti East drill core. Core size strike length of 12.5 km in four target areas. Environmental is AQ (27 mm wide). Photo by John DeGrace. baseline studies in support of a small mine application were also completed. In November, Fertoz submitted an application to extract up to 75,000 t/y of phosphatic rock.

5. Exploration highlights 5.1. Nechako Plateau (Stikine terrane) 5.1.1. Epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold In late May, New Gold Inc. resumed its Blackwater Regional exploration program, which includes the Van Tine, Van Tine South, Capoose, Fawn, Fawnie, Emma, Blackwater South/ East, Key, and Auro properties (Figs. 1, 2; Table 5). At the Key property, exploration focused on ring-shaped magnetic anomalies and a known copper-molybdenum mineralized feldspar porphyritic intrusive. By August, two drills were on site coring to an average depth of 500 m, and ground IP surveys were completed. The property is underlain by Hazelton and Nechako Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks and is cut by Fig. 15. Propylitically altered Hazelton Group andesite at the Key three main northwest to north-northwest trending faults and a property. northeast-trending cross fault. At Blackwater South, drilling was to test the northwest side of the interpreted Auro Pluton for et al., 2010). Fragmental rhyolite sills are the main host of mineralized volcanic rocks in an area historically mapped as mineralization and are pervasively altered with a quartz-sericite Ootsa Lake Formation. The property is underlain by Hazelton, and garnet-bearing assemblage similar to the Blackwater Kasalka, and Nechako Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks deposit. Based on garnet geochemistry the sills are of similar in the northwestern part of a large (7 km diameter) ring-shaped age (Late Cretaceous) to the east margin of the Capoose Pluton magnetic anomaly south of the Blackwater deposit. In October, (Andrew, 1987; Green and Diakow, 1993). Mineralization New Gold reported that drilling at Key and Blackwater South encountered a broad area of porphyry-style mineralization occurs as pyrite-sphalerite-marcasite-pyrrhotite ± chalcopyrite, (gold, silver, copper and molybdenum) in intrusive host rock galena, arsenopyrite disseminations and garnet replacements. (Fig. 15). Surface reconnaissance work at Van Tine and Fawn Quartz-garnet-sulphide veins and veinlets are less abundant. identifi ed epithermal and deeper intrusive-related alteration Native gold and electrum are spatially associated with pyrite, and silver with hessite (Ag styles and local high gold grades over narrow widths in 2Te) and argentite. High gold and Hazelton Group volcaniclastic rocks. Only about 2.5 drill holes silver grades are not always coincident and appear to be were completed at Van Tine and Fawn before drilling was controlled by intrusive contacts and structural intersections. suspended because of forest fi res. The mineralized zone (above 0.4 g/t AuEq.) is irregularly In May, New Gold released a NI 43-101 technical report on shaped and extends 825 x 715 m along a north-south trend, the Capoose project. The deposit is hosted by Late Jurassic with a vertical extent of over 500 m. sedimentary and mafi c-to-intermediate volcanic rocks of The 3Ts property (Figs. 1, 2, Table 5) of Independence Gold the Bowser Lake Group (Simpson and Rotert, 2014). Quartz Corp. is underlain by Hazelton Group rhyolite tuffs and fl ows monzonite of the Capoose Pluton lies a kilometre to the west about 10 km south of Capoose Batholith quartz monzonite and is thought to dip eastward under the deposit area (Awmack (Diakow et al., 1997). The 3Ts project is a low-sulfi dation

16 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Exploration and Mining inBritishColumbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry ofEnergy andMines,British Columbia Geological Survey IC2015-2 Table 5. Exploration, Omineca and Northeast regions. Property Operator MINFILE Commodity; Resource (NI 43-101 Work program Signifi cant results Website deposit type compliant unless indicated otherwise) Blackwater New Gold Inc. 093F 037, gold, silver, drilling (11,045 Broad area of porphyry- http://www.newgold. Regional 43, 45, 50, zinc, lead, m; 23 drill holes), style mineralization at Key com/ (Van 52, 53, 56, copper, ground geophysics and Blackwater South; Tine,Van 69 molybdenum; (IP, VLF-EM, epithermal and deeper Tine South, epithermal, magnetics) at Key, intrusive-related alteration Fawn, porphyry, skarn Fawn and Van Tine styles at Van Tine and Fawn Blackwater South, Key)

Capoose New Gold Inc. 093F 040 silver, gold 20.3 Mt at 0.50 g/t gold NI 43-101 technical Updated resource estimate http://www.newgold. (zinc, lead, and 22.4 g/t silver; report incorporated 2013 drilling com/ copper); containing 9953 kg program epithermal (320,000 oz) gold and 454,733 kg (14.62 Moz) silver - Indicated 3Ts Independence 093F 055, gold, silver; 5.45 Mt at 2.52 g/t gold, drilling (2683 m) http://www.ingold.ca/s/ Gold Corp. 68 epithermal 71.5 g/t silver; Home.asp containing 13,717 kg Jago

17 (441,000 oz) gold and 390,038 kg (12.54 Moz) silver (Inferred) Fox and 2 Kootenay Silver N/A gold, silver; N/A 48 grab samples 32.6 g/t gold and 6049 g/t http://www. X Fred Inc. epithermal (Fox) and 175 silver peak values (Fox); kootenaysilver.com/s/ composite vein 0.34 g/t gold average value home.asp samples (2 X Fred) and 4.31 g/t gold peak value (2 X Fred) Decar Cliffs Natural 093K 039, nickel; 1159.5 Mt of Bench scale market http://www. Resources Inc. 41, 72 ultramafi c- 0.124% nickel (Davis test cliffsnaturalresources. (60%), First hosted Tube Recovered, DTR); com/EN/PaPag/default. Point Minerals containing 1.438 Mt aspx Corp. (40% and (3169.7 Mlbs) nickel http://www. 1% NSR) Indicated fi rstpointminerals. com/s/Home.asp Green Gold 0902744 B.C. 093G 032 Gold; vein drilling (388 m) 23 m at 1.64 g/t Au, N/A Ltd. including 8 m at 4.0 g/t Au (Discovery trench, 2011) Cat Rift Valley 094C 069 copper, gold, geochemical 1.2 m of 72.7 g/t gold, http://www.riftvalley. Mountain Resources Corp. silver; porphyry sampling (rock chip 11.45 g/t silver, 0.33% ca/Welcome_to_Rift_ and grab), blasting, copper; grab samples up Valley_Resources_Corp. trenching to 278 g/t gold, 22.92 g/t html silver, 0.27% copper (No. 1 Magnetite Vein) Exploration and Mining inBritishColumbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry ofEnergy andMines,British Columbia Geological Survey IC2015-2

Table 5. Contined.

Property Operator MINFILE Commodity; Resource (NI 43-101 Work program Signifi cant results Website deposit type compliant unless indicated otherwise) OGK Blackeagle 094C 097, copper, gold mapping and Development 170, sampling (rock, soil) Corp. 093N 176

Takla- Manado Gold 093N 082 gold, silver; Non NI 43-101 drilling (late 24.52 m (drilling length) of http://www.manadogold. Rainbow Corp. epithermal, compliant resource 2013), mapping, 0.18% copper, 2.01 g/t gold, com/ porphyry estimate of 291,298 prospecting, 2.0 g/t silver (TR-13-88); tonnes (321,101 tons) at geochemical 5 m chip sample of 0.292% 8.57 g/t (0.25 oz/ ton) sampling (rock, till) copper, 0.553 g/t gold and gold; inferred and 10.9 g/t silver; historic potential (Imperial core samples up to 0.811% Metals Corporation, copper, 4.51 g/t gold, 1988) 10.9 g/t silver

Croy-Bloom Serengeti 094D 019, gold, copper, geochemical 0.97% copper, 3.1 g/t gold http://www. Resources Inc. 25, 105 iron, magnetite; sampling (historic (core sample); three grab serengetiresources. porphyry drill core) samples at 0.38%, 0.84%, com/s/Home.asp and 0.93% copper Jago

18 Rottacker Serengeti 093N 098, copper, gold, Kwanika Central geochemical 6.7% copper, 5.9 g/t gold http://www. Resources Inc. 093N 073 silver; porphyry Zone: 243.6 Mt sampling (rock) and 464 g/t silver serengetiresources. (Kwanika) at 0.23% copper, com/s/Home.asp 0.21 g/t gold, 0.69 g/t silver; containing 559,279 tonnes (1233 Mlbs) copper, 51,632 kg (1.66 Moz) gold, and 167,959 kg (5.4 Moz) of silver; indicated

Kwanika Serengeti 093N 152, copper, N/A ground IP survey http://www. East-Smoke Resources Inc. 168 molybdenum; serengetiresources. porphyry com/s/Home.asp

Redton Kiska Metals 093N 167 copper, ground geophysics N/A http://www.kiskametals. (Halobia) Corporation molybdenum; (11 line-km; com/s/Home.asp porphyry magnetics, IP), geochemistry (soil)

Chuchi Chlormet 093N 159 copper, gold; Non NI 43-101 ASTER satellite N/A http://www.kiskametals. Technologies porphyry compliant resource survey (Chlormet), com/s/Home. Inc., estimate of 50 Mt at fi eld review, rock asp=00022839 Kiska Metals 0.21% Cu, 0.21 g/t sampling (Kiska) Corporation gold; inferred (Digger Resources Inc., 1991) Exploration and Mining inBritishColumbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry ofEnergy andMines,British Columbia Geological Survey IC2015-2 Table 5. Contined.

Property Operator MINFILE Commodity; Resource (NI 43-101 Work program Signifi cant results Website deposit type compliant unless indicated otherwise) Col-Later Pacifi c Empire 093N 101 copper, gold, Non NI 43-101 drilling (848 m), N/A www.pemcorp.ca/ Minerals Corp. silver; porphyry compliant resource ground IP survey Welcome_to_Pacifi c_ estimate of 1.81 Mt at Empire_Minerals.html 0.6% copper; indicated (Kookaburra Gold Inc., 1989)

Thor Copper North 094D 064, 5 copper, gold, ground IP survey (80 N/A http://www. Mining Corp. silver; porphyry line-km) coppernorthmining. com/s/Home.asp

Kemess AuRico Gold Inc. 094E 021 copper, gold, drilling (16,877 m), 768 m of 0.442 g/t gold http://www.auricogold. East silver; porphyry mapping, and 0.392% copper (KH- com/ geochemistry (rock), 14-04); 304 m of 0.557 g/t airborne geophysics gold and 0.421% copper (VTEM, 1111 line- (KH-14-09); 601 m km), metallurgical 0.500 g/t gold and 0.391% studies copper (KH-13-08)

UDS Serengeti 094E 070, gold, silver, N/A mapping, 10 samples between http://www. Jago 19 Resources Inc. 115, 117, copper, zinc, geochemical 0.1 - 0.7% copper (August serengetiresources. 120, 121, lead; porphyry, sampling (rock, soil, 30 target); skarn sample com/s/Home.asp 244 epithermal silt) 0.26% copper, 1.0 g/t gold

Akie Canada Zinc 094F 031 zinc, lead, 12.7 Mt at 8.4% zinc, drilling (2855 m), 9.44 m of 8.93% zinc, http://www. Metals Corp. silver; 1.7% lead and geophysics (airborne 1.25% lead, 10.54 g/t silver canadazincmetals.com/ sedimentary 13.7 g/t silver; containing gravity) (A-14-111); 7.87 m of exhalative 1.07 Mt (2352.3 Mlbs) 5.97% zinc, 0.94% lead, zinc, 214,000 tonnes 8.02 g/t silver (A-14-12); (471.8 Mlbs) lead, and 8.42 m of 7.43% zinc, 174,024 kg (5.6 Moz) 1.19% lead, 10.72 g/t silver silver indicated (A-14-115); 5.72 m of 5.45% zinc, 0.94% lead, 8.49 g/t silver (A-14-117)

Kechika Canada Zinc 094F 013, zinc, lead, N/A airborne gravity zinc-lead-barite anomaly http://www. Regional Metals Corp. 15 silver; survey (940 line- expanded to 4500 x 500 m canadazincmetals.com/ (Yuen sedimentary km), geochemical at Yuen North North, Mt. exhalative sampling (soil) at Alcock) Yuen North Exploration and Mining inBritishColumbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry ofEnergy andMines,British Columbia Geological Survey IC2015-2 Table 5. Contined.

Property Operator MINFILE Commodity; Resource (NI 43-101 Work program Signifi cant results Website deposit type compliant unless indicated otherwise)

Cirque Teck Resources 094F 008 zinc, lead, silver; Non NI 43-101 drilling (5200 m), N/A https://www.teck.com/ Limited sedimentary compliant resource airborne VTEM exhalative estimate of 24.7 Mt at survey, airborne 8.5% zinc, 2.3% lead gravity survey and 50.8 g/t silver; indicated (Curragh Resources Inc., 1991)

Kechika Teck Resources 094F 008, 9, zinc, lead, silver; N/A airborne VTEM N/A https://www.teck.com/ Regional Limited 11, 13 23 sedimentary survey, airborne (Elf, Fluke, exhalative gravity survey (840 Pie, Cirque line-km), re-logging East, Yuen) and sampling historic core (3500 m), geochemical sampling (rock), mapping, prospecting Jago 20 Wapiti Canadian Dehua 093I 013 metallurgical 201.9 Mt (coal seam feasibility study, N/A http://www.dehua.ca/ River International coal; thickness >1.0 m); baseline studies Mines Group Inc. Measured and Indicated

Roman Anglo American N/A metallurgical N/A percussion drilling N/A http://www. Northwest plc (Peace River coal; (2121 m), core angloamerican.com/ Coal Inc.) drilling (1535 m), trenching

Waterfall Anglo American N/A metallurgical N/A percussion drilling N/A http://www. plc (Peace River coal; (1410 m), core angloamerican.com/ Coal Inc.) drilling (360 m), trenching

Huguenot Colonial Coal 093I 014 metallurgical 132.0 Mt (surface), carbonization N/A http://ccoal.ca/ International coal; 145.7 Mt (underground) testing, coal washing Corp. in situ; Measured and studies, baseline Indicated studies

Dunlevy Jameson 094B 023, metallurgical N/A drilling (1302 m) clean coal intersections up http://www. Resources 25 coal; to 1.52 m thick; unoxidized jamesonresources.com. Limited samples indicate high- au/ (Dunlevy Energy volatile A bituminous coals Inc.) Jago

epithermal vein system with more than a dozen subvertical, vein material returned anomalous gold and silver values. north-striking mineralized veins up to 900 m long and 20 m In 2014, Geoscience BC continued the Targeting Resources wide that appear to have formed by open space fi lling along through Exploration and Knowledge project (TREK; Clifford faults (Fig. 16). The veins have quartz-calcite ± sericite- and Hart, 2014), which covers part of the Nechako Plateau and adularia-amethyst gangue encompassing wall rock fragments, includes mineral discoveries made during regional mapping by and feature crustiform banding and comb crystal textures. Diakow et al., (1997). Releases included results of geochemical Fragments of breccia in the veins indicate multiple pulses of and mineralogical surveys (Sacco et al., 2014), airborne vein formation. Sparse sulphide mineralization occurs as pyrite magnetic data (Aeroquest Airborne Ltd., 2014; Geoscience and Cu-Ag sulphosalt(?) disseminations and sooty hairline BC), basal till geochemical and mineralogical data (Jackaman veinlets, with accessory chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena. An and Sacco, 2014), basal till potential maps (Sacco et al., 2014), 80 m thick Late Cretaceous (73.8 Ma, U-Pb zircon; Friedman and geologically constrained 3D Earth modeling of gravity and et al., 2001) microdiorite sill crosscuts the veins. However, magnetic data (Mira Geoscience Ltd., 2014). an Early Miocene (21.2 Ma Re-Os; David Pawliuk, personal communication, 2014) hydrothermal quartz breccia vein above 5.2. Cache Creek terrane the sill implies a protracted mineralizing history. In early May, 5.2.1. Ultramafi c-hosted nickel an updated NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource estimate was At the Decar project (Figs. 1, 2, Table 5), managed and released that incorporates data from 2012 and 2013 drilling operated by Cliffs Natural Resources Exploration Canada Inc., programs. Drilling of new targets started in late May, but was nickel occurs as a fi ne-grained, pervasively disseminated nickel-

suspended in late August after samples from 18 holes failed to iron alloy (awaruite; Ni2-3Fe) in serpentinized peridotites of the return signifi cant gold values. Trembleur ultramafi c unit, an obducted ophiolite sequence In April, Kootenay Silver Inc. announced discovering (Schiarizza and MacIntyre, 1998). Typically, nickel is mined two high-level epithermal systems resulting from grassroots from magmatic Ni-sulphide or lateritic deposits and the Decar exploration near their Copley (MINFILE 093F 070) property. project is the fi rst to assess the economic viability of awaruite. The Fox property (Fig. 1, Table 5) features two northeast- Two broad northwest-trending mineralized zones of awaruite trending mineralized zones, 400 m apart, near a 3 km long and magnetite, alteration products of nickeliferous olivine, are magnetic low. Subvertical, open-space quartz-sulfi de veins and recognized on the property. A near-vertical foliation is thought breccia fi lls have been identifi ed in zones of quartz-sericite- to parallel diffuse shear zones that developed prior to and during pyrite alteration. The area is underlain by Ootsa Lake Formation serpentinization. The age of mineralization is unknown, but is felsic volcanic rocks and feldspar porphyry. At 2 X Fred (Two thought to be related to post-accretionary strike-slip faulting. Times Fred; Fig. 1, Table 5), gently west-dipping chalcedonic A recent NI 43-101 compliant technical report and and banded quartz veins, stockwork, and breccia fi ll were found preliminary economic assessment (McLaughlin et al., 2013) across a 2.5 x 1.75 km area in Endako Formation volcanic rocks. describes an open-pit mining operation with 114,000 t/d milling Veins are centered on a coincident airborne EM and magnetic rate that would produce an average 37,369 tonnes (82.4 Mlbs) high anomaly. The magnetic anomaly has intersecting north- of nickel annually over a 24 year mine life. Although Cliffs south and northeast-trending components. Sampling of quartz elected to proceed with a pre-feasibility study in 2013, which was scheduled for completion in August 2015, their continued interest is uncertain. Activities in 2014 included First Nations engagement and baseline environmental studies. In April, First Point Minerals Corp. reported completing an initial market test for concentrate produced from the Decar project. The bench- scale tests indicate that Decar concentrate can be blended with laterite nickel as feedstock in ferronickel production, and as direct feed in stainless steel circuits.

5.2.2 Listwanite-associated lode gold In October, private company 0902744 B.C. Ltd. completed a 4-hole diamond drilling program at the Green Gold property (Figs. 1, 17; Table 5) in the Pinchi fault zone west of Prince George. At the intersection of north-northwest and north-northeast trending faults, Cache Creek complex pelagic sedimentary rocks and limestones are juxtaposed against metabasalts, diabase, and metagabbro. Drilling encountered fi ne-to-medium grained intrusive rock with varying alteration assemblages including pervasive argillic (with chlorite and Fig. 16. Johnny vein at the 3Ts property. talc), quartz-sericite-pyrite, and pervasive silica. Secondary

21 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

About 13 km to the west, the OGK property (Fig. 1, Table 5) is underlain by granodiorite to monzonitic rocks of the Hogem intrusive complex in its northern portion and by the Duckling Creek syenite complex, a multi-stage alkaline dike swarm, in its southern portion. Vein-hosted and disseminated copper sulphide, and secondary copper mineralization has been recognized. The property is under option to Blackeagle Development Corp. and a grassroots program of mapping and sampling was conducted in 2014. The Takla-Rainbow property (Fig. 1, Table 5) of Manado Gold Corp. is in Twin Creek succession volcanic rocks (Takla Group) at the east margin of the Hogem intrusive complex. Sub-vertical auriferous quartz veins follow the east-southeast- striking Twin Creek Fault zone that cuts the contact between dioritic and volcaniclastic rocks. Sheared quartz syenite-to- granite porphyry dikes of probable Early Cretaceous age appear spatially related to mineralization. Mineralization occurs as fracture-controlled and disseminated sulphide and native gold with silica-carbonate alteration. The results of a 5-hole drilling program conducted in late 2013 were announced in January 2014. Several silicifi ed, pyrite-bearing mineralized zones were intersected in two of the drill holes, including an interval over 24 m that ended in gold-silver-copper mineralization. Low- grade gold and silver mineralized intervals were returned in the other holes. A grassroots exploration program in mid-summer 2014 focused on identifying porphyry style mineralization in historic drill core. Geologic mapping and sampling covered four target areas, and historic drill collars were re-surveyed. Fig. 17. Core drilling at Green Gold. Serengeti Resources Inc. conducted grassroots exploration in 2014 at the Croy-Bloom, Rottaker, and Kwanika East-Smoke properties (Fig. 1, Table 5). At the historic Soup prospect on biotite and fuchsite were identifi ed as disseminations and vein Croy-Bloom copper-gold mineralized microdiorite associated components; and disseminated and veinlet-hosted pyrite and with a lens of magnetite skarn was sampled from historic drill local crackle breccia were noted. core. The area is underlain by Takla Group volcanic rocks and

a 700 m wide, northwest-trending monzodiotitic pluton at the 5.3. Quesnel trough (Quesnel terrane) northern end of the Hogem intrusive complex. The target area 5.3.1. Porphyry copper-gold comprises stratiform magnetite skarn exposed over a kilometre The Cat Mountain property (Fig. 1, Table 5) of Rift of strike length, and a 1000 x 600 m copper-gold soil anomaly. Valley Resources Corp is a kilometre outside the east About 3 km to the south, composite grab samples of copper margin of the Hogem intrusive complex. It is underlain by mineralized garnet-diopside skarn and chlorite schist were mafi c-intermediate volcaniclastic rocks of the Witch Lake collected from the historic Kli showing, where copper soil succession (Takla Group; Upper Triassic) that host small anomalies are known. The Rottacker prospect is contiguous syenitic intrusions. The intrusions appear to form a ring-dike with the southern portion of the Kwanika property, for which complex along the summit of Cat Mountain, and are spatially a recent NI 43-101 compliant technical report and preliminary associated with a 700 x 400 m variably altered and mineralized economic assessment was released proposing a 15,000 Mt/y area (Macdonald, 2013). Steeply dipping, northwest- and combined open-pit and underground block cave operation with north-trending magnetite-sulphide ± quartz-calcite veins up to 13.4 year mine life and initial capital cost of $364 million (Gray 0.6 m wide occur in an area of complex syn- and post-mineral and Robillard, 2013). Two porphyry deposits at Kwanika, one faulting. Gold-copper ± silver mineralization occurs in the copper-gold, the other copper-gold-silver-molybdenum are magnetite veins, and as sulphide and secondary copper mineral roughly a kilometre apart within the western margin of the disseminations and fracture fi lls. The deposit type appears to Hogem intrusive complex near the Pinchi fault. At Rottacker, be transitional between shear-hosted vein and alkalic porphyry. disseminated and vein sulphide has been identifi ed in sheared, Sampling was conducted in July 2014 to better determine the chlorite-sericite altered monzodiorite of the Hogem intrusive strike length of high-grade gold mineralization. A blasting and complex about 4 km east of the Pinchi fault. About 8 km sampling program followed later in the season. northeast of the Kwanika camp, a reconnaissance IP survey was

22 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

completed at Kwanika East-Smoke. The property is underlain Inc. appears to be similar in size as KUG about two km to by Takla Group volcanic rocks (Twin Creek and Witch Lake the west (see above). Mineralization is hosted primarily in a successions) and monzodiorite of the eastern margin of the quartz monzonite body and, to a lesser degree, in Takla Group Hogem intrusive complex. The claims follow an east-northeast basaltic andesites. Gold is hosted in chalcopyrite in veins and trending structure and the property contains a strong VTEM disseminations; the highest copper-gold grades are associated anomaly. with biotite alteration. Late calcite-zeolite alteration related Kiska Metal Corporation undertook grassroots and early- to the Sovereign pluton appears to be grade destructive. stage work at the Redton and Chuchi properties (Fig. 1, Table Exploration drilling continued in 2014 with twelve steeply- 5) in 2014. At Redton (Halobia), an area underlain by altered inclined holes up to 1600 m long (Fig. 18). An airborne VTEM intrusive rocks of the Hogem intrusive complex, ground based geophysical survey was fl own and metallurgical test work geophysics and soil sampling were completed to expand a completed. 3 x 1 km copper-in-soil geochemical anomaly and defi ne drill The UDS property (Fig. 1, Table 5) of Serengeti Resources Inc. targets. At Chuchi, on the east end of the southeastern leg of is also underlain by Takla Group and Toodoggone Formation the Hogem intrusive complex, a fi eld review and rock sampling volcanic rocks, and intrusive rocks of the Black Lake plutonic was completed ahead of a decision on an option agreement suite. Grassroots exploration in 2014 identifi ed two target with Chlormet Technologies Inc. The property is underlain by a areas with potential porphyry copper-gold signatures. Copper cluster of porphyritic monzonite stocks, dikes, and sills that cut mineralized outcrops and phyllic alteration is associated with Chuchi Lake succession (Takla Group) volcanic and hornfelsed felsic dikes that occupy a faulted contact between Black sedimentary rocks. The central target area features gold, copper, Lake intrusive and Takla Group volcanic rocks. Mineralized and silver soil anomalies over a 1 x 3 km area of drilling- skarn occurrences were identifi ed nearby. Several MINFILE established copper-gold mineralization, and IP anomalies in occurrences in the area describe epithermal style polymetallic the immediate vicinity. Geological relationships suggest that mineralization in northwest-trending, shear-hosted, brecciated sedimentation, hypabyssal intrusions and mineralization were quartz-calcite-barite veins. roughly coeval (Nelson and Bellefontaine, 1996). The Col-Later property (Fig. 1, Table 5) of Pacifi c Empire 5.5. Kechika trough and Rocky Mountain Trench area Minerals Corp. covers the northern margin of the southeastern (ancestral North America) leg of the Hogem intrusive complex where it cuts alkaline 5.5.1. SEDEX zinc-lead-silver volcanic rocks of the Chuchi Lake succession (Takla Group). At the Akie property (Figs. 1, 2, Table 5) of Canada Zinc Mineralization is hosted in altered monzonite, syenite, and Metals Corp., the Cardiac Creek deposit is a zone of baritic andesitic rocks and occurs as disseminated and vein-hosted zinc-lead-silver SEDEX mineralization hosted in Gunsteel copper sulphide and secondary copper minerals in steeply Formation shale (Earn Group; Upper Devonian). The moderate dipping shear zones. The best mineralization has been identifi ed to steeply southwest-dipping tabular mineralized body is about in potassic and calc-potassic alteration suites. Mineralization 20 m thick and extends for a strike length of 1400 m. From with a higher bornite-chalcopyrite ratio appears to be controlled bottom to top, mineralization defi nes a stratiform sequence of: by the intersection of northwest- and northeast-trending fracture 1) bedded to massive barite; 2) mottled sphalerite-galena-pyrite zones. Late in the year, a ground IP survey was carried out on with decreasing barite-calcite; 3) grey-white sphalerite bands the east side of the property and two drill holes were completed with thickly banded pyrite and minor galena and barite; 4) fi ne on the west side, where targets are covered by till.

5.4. Toodoggone area (Stikine terrane) 5.4.1. Porphyry copper-gold The Thor property (Fig. 1, Table 5), under option to Copper North Mining Corp., straddles a north-trending fault that separates Sustut Group sedimentary rocks on the west from Asitka Group carbonate and volcanic rocks, Takla Group mafi c volcanic rocks, and monzodioritic intrusive rocks (Early Jurassic) on the east. Regional magnetic data suggest that a large intrusive body underlies Sustut Group rocks and coincident IP chargeability anomalies are being targeted for porphyry style mineralization. Mineralization on the property occurs as sulphide disseminations, veins, and semi-massive pods in north- to northwest-trending silicifi ed shear zones. A ground IP survey was conducted in 2014 to better defi ne targets for drill testing. The Kemess East (Fig. 1, Table 5) deposit of AuRico Gold Fig. 18. Newly drilled core (KH-14-02), Kemess East.

23 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

banded pyrite; 5) fi ne banded barite-pyrite; and 6) fi ne nodular barite. The mineralized zone is commonly interbedded with siliceous Gunsteel Formation shale, and underlain by marine turbidites of the Paul River Formation (Lower Devonian). An 8-hole drilling program in 2014 focused on the Cardiac Creek deposit (Fig. 19). Canada Zinc Metals has an approved exploration permit and completed engineering design for an underground drilling program. Environmental baseline studies are ongoing. As part of the Kechika Regional project, soil samples were collected at the Yuen North property (Fig. 1, Table 5). The survey expanded historic soils data to cover the western panel of Gunsteel Formation on strike with Teck Resources’ Cirque project, 17 km to the southeast, and confi rmed a northwest- trending linear zinc-lead-barite anomaly. In November, a helicopter-borne FALCONTM gravity gradiometry and LIDAR survey was fl own at 200 m line spacing over the Akie, Yuen North and Mt. Alcock properties. The Cirque project (Figs. 1, 2, Table 5) is a joint venture between Teck Resources Limited and Korea Zinc Company, Ltd. that includes the Cirque, Elf, Fluke, Pie, Cirque East, and Yuen properties. As part of a multi-year exploration program searching for SEDEX mineralization in shales of the Gunsteel Formation, the 2014 program included drilling (Fig. 20), airborne VTEM and gravity surveys, re-logging and sampling of historic drill core, mapping and prospecting.

5.5.2. Carlin-type gold? Prompted by recent Carlin-type gold and realgar discoveries Fig. 19. Drilling at the Cardiac Creek deposit, Akie. Photo by John in Proterozoic to Paleozoic strata of Selwyn basin in Yukon DeGrace. Territory, the British Columbia Geological Survey initiated a project to evaluate the potential of similar mineralization in Kechika trough, the southern continuation of Selwyn basin (Rukhlov et al., 2015). Robust statistical analysis of multi- element geochemical data from the National Geochemical Reconnaissance (federal) and Regional Geochemical Survey (provincial) surveys, document Au±As±Hg±Tl±Sb enrichment in stream and lake sediments from Kechika trough and Selwyn basin. In both areas, anomalous values are spatially related to platform to deep-water basin transitions and to extensional structures that originated during basin subsidence and then reactivated as thrusts during regional shortening. These anomalies and geologic setting suggest that Kechika trough may hold potential for Carlin-type deposits (Rukhlov et al., 2015).

5.6. Peace River Coalfi eld 5.6.1. South of Tumbler Ridge Fig. 20. Drilling at the Cirque deposit. Photo by John DeGrace. The Wapiti River property of Canadian Dehua International Mines Group Inc. (Canadian Dehua) lies 25 km southeast of the Trend mine (see above; Fig. 1). Canadian Dehua reports a total Ltd. and Snowden Mining Consultants Inc., proposes a three- of 63 coal seams in the Gates and Gething formations. Seismic level underground longwall mining operation with a clean coal interpretations (2-D) show a gently-folded syncline-anticline production rate of 8.5 Mt/y and a mine life of 46.4 years. The pair cut by reverse faults. A feasibility study for the No. 1 study identifi ed 14 mineable coal seams based on thickness, mine at Wapiti River, completed in 2014 by Golder Associates depth, geologic structure and coal quality. The mineable coal

24 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

seams have an average cumulative thickness of 30 m, lie at Cirque, and exploring the southern portion of the Kechika depths between 300-1200 m, are medium-to-high volatile Trough SEDEX belt. Teck may also have a drilling program bituminous in rank, and washable to a low ash (about 10%) less than 10 km northwest of the Serengeti Resources Inc. clean coal product. Employment requirements are forecast at Croy-Bloom property at Kliyul, recently optioned from Kiska 600-800 direct jobs. In 2014, Dehua focused on permitting, Metals Corporation. Private company 0902744 B.C. Ltd. will making arrangements for rail and power lines, and continuing continue drilling at Green Gold. Graymont Western Canada environmental baseline studies. Inc. will continue advancing the Giscome project through The Trend mine expansion projects Roman Northwest Environmental Assessment and fi nal permitting approval. and Waterfall (Fig. 1, Table 5; Peace River Coal Inc.-Anglo In the Northeast region, Anglo-PRC will continue to explore American plc) lie northwest of Roman Mountain following the expansion projects of the Trend-Roman mine. Walter Energy, close-folded Murray syncline and Waterfall anticline fold pair. Inc will continue evaluating and preparing the remaining Winter drilling and trenching programs were completed at both Wolverine Group projects for replacement of the Perry Creek projects from January through early April 2014. Additional mine. HD Mining International Ltd`s decline at Murray River drilling at Waterfall was to start in December 2014 to continue will likely reach the target depth for extracting a bulk coal into 2015. sample. Glencore will continue feasibility stage exploration At the Huguenot project of Colonial Coal International at Sukunka. Canadian Dehua will conduct a 3-D seismic Corp. (Fig. 1, Table 5) the average cumulative thickness of program to further characterize geology and structure for mine Gates Formation coal seams in three separate blocks is 15 to development at Wapiti River, and will continue working on 19 m. A recent NI 43-101 compliant preliminary economic infrastructure permits. Fertoz International Inc. will continue assessment study (Evenson, 2013) described a combined their bulk phosphate sample program at Wapiti East and may surface and underground longwall mining operation that be granted a small mine permit. would produce between 1.4 Mt-5.9 Mt/y, averaging 3.0 Mt/y of clean coal over 31 years. Total clean coal production over Acknowledgments the life of mine would be 89 Mt. Carbonization testing and coal The information in this report was derived from news washing optimization studies were undertaken in 2014, and releases, quarterly reports, MD&A reports, company websites, environmental baseline studies continued. technical reports, MINFILE reports, COALFILE reports, Geological Survey of British Columbia publications, site visits 5.6.2. Hudson’s Hope area and discussions with industry professionals and personnel. I At the Dunlevy property (Fig. 1, Table 5) of Jameson thank the geologists and miners who were generous with their Resources Limited, a 13-hole drilling program testing Gething time and resources, and those who provided expenditure and Formation coal seams was completed in 2014. The work related information. I also thank the Regional Geologists and confi rmed coal seams previously located by hand trenching, the Mineral Development Offi ce for additional support, and and found clean coal intersections up to 1.5 m thick. Dunlevy the skilled staff at the Ministry of Energy and Mines regional geologists consider that the thickest coal seam is one that has offi ce in Prince George. Very special thanks to John DeGrace been mined elsewhere in the north Peace region (Grant seam). (P.Geo, P.Eng.) for acting as Regional Geologist for the better Unoxidized samples taken from several seams demonstrate part of the fi eld season, and for providing thoughtful review that the property hosts high-volatile A bituminous coal. The and editing of this chapter. company is targeting a single seam 1.5-2.5 m thick for potential underground extraction by longwall mining, and speculates that References cited Aeroquest Airborne Ltd., 2014. Fixed wing magnetic geophysical 100-150 Mt of metallurgical coal may be recoverable outside survey, TREK Project, Interior Plateau/Nechako Region, British the Coal Land Reserves restricted area. Columbia. Canada. Geoscience BC, Report 2014-04, 40 p. Andrew, K. P. E, 1988. Geology and genesis of the Wolf precious 6. Outlook for 2015 metal epithermal prospect and the Capoose base and precious metal porphyry-style prospect, Capoose Lake area, central Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. will likely complete British Columbia. Master of Science thesis, University of British their second full year of production at the Mt. Milligan mine Columbia, 359 p. and approach full design throughput capacity and metal Awmack, H.J., Armitage, A., Campbell, J., Pawliuk, D., 2010. recoveries by the end of the year. New Gold Inc. will likely 2010 technical report on the Capoose project. Equity Exploration move Blackwater through the fi nal stages of permitting for a Consultants Ltd., Geovector Management Inc., Silver Quest Resources Ltd.: prepared for Silver Quest Resources Ltd. 51 p. mining operation. AuRico Gold Inc. will continue advancing Bath, A.B., Cooke, D.R., Davies, A.G.S, Friedman, R.M., Faure, Kemess Underground through Environmental Assessment K., Kamenetsky, V.S., Tosdal, R.M, and Berry, R.F., 2014. and delineating the orebody at Kemess East with additional Mineralization, U-Pb geochronology, and stable isotope drilling. Taseko Mines Limited will optimize the economics geochemistry of the Lower Main Zone of the Lorraine Deposit, north-central British Columbia: a replacement-style alkalic Cu-Au and technical aspects of the Aley project as it moves through porphyry. Economic Geology, 109, 979-1004. Environmental Assessment. Canada Zinc Metals Corp. and British Columbia Geological Survey, 2015. British Columbia coal Teck Resources Limited will continue drilling at Akie and industry overview 2014. British Columbia Geological Survey

25 Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2014. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey IC 2015-2 Jago

Information Circular 2015-3. Cretaceous Hulcross and Boulder Creek Formations, northeastern Butrenchuk, S., 1996. Phosphate deposits in British Columbia. British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 440, 111 British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum p. Resources Bulletin 98, 126 p. Gray, J.H., and Robillard, H.M., 2013. NI 43-101 technical report Christie, G., Lipiec, I., Simpson, R.G., Horton, and J., Borntraeger, for the Kwanika property, preliminary economic assessment 2013. B., 2014. Blackwater Gold Project, British Columbia, NI 43-101 Moose Mountain Technical Services: prepared for Serengeti technical report on feasibility study. AMEC, GeoSim Services Inc., Resources Inc., 185 p. Norwest Corporation, Knight Piésold Consulting: prepared for Green, K. C., and Diakow, L. J., 1993. The Fawnie Range project New Gold Inc., 336 p. - geology of the Natalkuz Lake map area (93F/6). In: Geological Clifford, A. and Hart, C.J.R., 2014. Targeting Resources through Fieldwork 1992, British Columbia Geological Survey Paper 1993- Exploration and Knowledge (TREK): Geoscience BC’s newest 1, 57-67. minerals project, Interior Plateau Region, central British Columbia Grieve, D.A., Holuszko, M.E. and Goodarzi, F., 1995. British (NTS 093B, C, F, G). In: Geoscience BC Summary of Activities Columbia coal quality survey. British Columbia Ministry of 2013, Geoscience BC, Report 2014-1, pp. 13–18. Employment and Investment, Geological Survey Branch Bulletin Cohen, K.M., Finney, S.C., Gibbard, P.L., Fan J.-X., 2013; updated. 96, 114 p. The ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart. Episodes 36: Holliday, J. R., Cooke, D. R., 2007, Advances in geological models 199-204. and exploration methods for copper±gold porphyry deposits. Cunningham, J. M., and Sprecher, B., 1992. Peace River Coalfi eld In: Proceedings of Exploration, 7, 791-809. digital mapping program (930/8, 15). In: Geological Fieldwork Jackaman, W. and Sacco, D., 2014. 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